Ship raising device



`June 15, 1937. D. N. DIAMANTIDES SHIP RAISING DEVICE Filed Dec. 30, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l gmc/who@ D. N. DIAMANTIDES Jullie 15, 1937.

SHIP RAISING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Shee 2 Filed DeG.` 30, 1955 Patented June 15, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIP RAISING DEVICE Diamond N. Diamantides, Massillon, Ohio Application December 30, 1935, Serial No. 56,817

4 Claims. (Cl. 114-53) This invention relates to ship raising devices and has for one of its objects the production of a simple and e'icient means for raising a submerged or sunken ship through the medium of tanks which are attached to the hull of a ship, into which tanks compressed air is forced to add buoyancy to the tanks for the purpose of bringing the sunken ship to the surface of the water.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficient tank construction having means for eiiiciently attaching the tank to the hull of a ship for the purpose of raising a sunken or submerged ship.

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple and e'icient tank which is adapted to be attached to the hull of a submerged ship for the purpose of raising the same, the tank being provided with means for permitting the entrance of water to facilitate sinking, and means for expelling the water after it has sunk and filling the tank with compressed air to cause the sunken ship to which the tank is secured toV be raised through the medium of the buoyancy of the tank or tanks secured to the hull of the ship.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved tank assembly showing one form or means of attaching the lifting tanks to the hull of a ship;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the lifting tanks in position upon the hull of a ship to be raised and illustrating the work tug associated therewith;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the chain sprockets and ratchet mechanism which guides and locks the binding chain;

Figure 4 is a top plan View of the forward end of the tank assembly, certain parts being shown in section;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the work tug, ship to be lifted, and lifting tanks, the tanks being shown in transverse section;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the blow-out casing;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side eleva- 5@ tion of the tank showing the water inlet port,

trap door and means for holding the trap` door open;

Figure 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of Figure 8;

55 Figure 10 is a top plan view of the hull of a ship showing six lifting tanks secured thereto, and

illustrating in particular the manner of connecting the central tanks;

Figure 11 is an enlarged section taken on line II-II of Figure 10; and

Figure 12 is an end diagrammatic view showing the manner of mounting two tanks in stacked relation against the side of a ship.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that S designates the ship to be raised, and T designates the work tug which is used in association with the ship S and the lifting tanks I5 and I6. The lifting tanks I5 and I6 are hingedly connected as at II, and each tank is provided with a tapering forward end I8, the forward ends of the tanks diverging as shown in Figure l, and being connected by means of a slotted plate I9 which engages the angle plates 20 carried by the forward ends I8 of the tanks I5 and I6. Suitable bolts 2I may be used for connecting the angle plates 20 with the slotted connecting plate I9.

The tanks I5 and I6 are hingedly connected, as at I 8, as stated, and are so arranged as to diverge toward their rear ends. the tanks I5 and I6 may fit snugly over the bow of the shipy S and tightly grip the same as the binding chain 22 passes along the side of the ship and around the stem, as shown in Figure 1.

Each tank I5 and I5 is provided near its rear end and upon the outside portion thereof with an inclined wall 23 which is inclined from the outside portion inwardly toward the rear of the tank. The inner wall 21 of each tank is inclined inwardly toward the top of the tank in order to fit snugly against the inclined or sloping side walls of the hull of the ship-note Figures 5 and 6,

In positioning the tanks it is not necessary to employ a diver, as the tanks may be oated or pulled into position through the medium of one or more tugs. The tugs may pull the tanks into any position desired, and any number of tanks may be employed in connection with large vessels. The tanks indicated by the numerals I5a and I5b in Figure 12 may be secured in stacked relation one above the other upon opposite sides of the hull of the vessel to raise the vessel sufliciently so that other tanks may be pulled into or floated into position. These tanks are first preferably secured to the ends of the vessel and the intermediate tanks, such for instance as the tanks 41 shown in Figure 10, may be pulled under the hull of the vessel after it has been raised sumciently to allow the chains 48 to pass under the bottom of the vessel. When al1 of the tanks are In this manner in position, the water is ejected and the buoyancy of the compressed air will raise the Vessel in a manner hereinafter described.

A ratchet pulley 24 is journaled upon the inclined wall 23 of each tank, and this pulley 24 is notched, as at 25, to receive the links of the chain 22, as the chain passes from the stem of the ship S upwardly to the work tug T. A spring pressed pawl engages the ratchet pulley 24 to prevent' the reverse rotation of the pulley 24 and also to prevent the chain 22 from slipping back after it has been tightly drawn around the pulleys 24 and hull of the ship S. The tanks I5 and IG are preferably provided with supporting rollers or castors 26 upon the bottom thereof to facilitate moving of the tanks. The ends of thechain 22 pass upwardly upon either side of the ship S and tug T,

as shown in Figure 2, wherefthey may be fastened, if desired, in any suitable manner. -An air supply hose 28 passes downwardly from each side of the work tugY T to the tanks I5 and I 6, as also shown in Figures 2 and 5.

Each tank I5 and I6 is provided with a water entrance port 29 in one side, which is normally closed by means of a spring-pressed hatch or door 30 hinged near the upper edge of the port 29, as shown in-detail in Figure 8. 'Ihis port 29 is opened while sinking the tank to allow water to enter the tank. The door 30 is held open by means of a latchingbar 3| which is mounted for vertical sliding movement within the guides 32. 'I'he latching bar 3| is provided with a laterally extending finger 33 which is adapted to extend y across the face of the door 3l), as shown in Figure 8, and to hold the door 30 open. The latching bar 3| is provided with an enlarged foot 34 which extends below the bottom of the tank and when the tank or tanks I5 andV I6 reach the bottom of the body of water in which the ship S is submerged, the latching bar 3| of each tank will be moved upwardly as shown in dotted lines to release the door 30k and allow the same to close the port 29 against the entrance of more water. The tanks I5 and |6 may then be positioned around the'bow of the ship S, and the chain 22 will be tightly held by the pulleys 24.

Each of the tanks I6 and I1 is provided with water inlet ports 40 along their upper edges, and these ports 40 are normally closed by springpressed valves, as at 4 I. 'Ihe valves 4| are adapted to open when the tanks I6 and I1 arersubmerged to 'permit water to enter the tanks, but when the air pressure within theV tanksY I6 and I1 exceeds the external water pressure, the valves 4| will be closed to prevent the escape of the compressed air when the water has been expelled.

, A blow-out casing 35 is carried by each tank I 5 and I6, as illustratedin detail in Figure 6. The casing 35 is provided with a plurality of openings 36 in the side thereof, which are shielded by the struck-out tongues 36a. A spring pressed` valve 31 is slidably mounted in the casing 35. A closure head 38 extends over the outer end of the tank adjacent the valve 31 and normally closes the ports 39. A pipe 42, as shown in Figure 6, is connected to the rear of the casing 35 and as air passes. therethrough, the valve 31 will be forced open or outwardly in the direction of the arrow and compressed air will pass into the tanks I6 and |1, at the same time expellingl the water from the tanks through the openings 36, and ports 39. When the water has been expelled from the tanks I6 and I1 and sufficient air has been forced into the tanks, the ship S will rise to the surface of the water, it being understood that the valves 36 will remain closed after the tanks I5 and 6 have been emptied. 'I'he pipe 42 is preferably connected to the rear end of the casing 36, and when the air in the tank displaces the water, the valve 31 will close.

In carrying out this invention, two, four or six tanks may be used, or in fact any number of tanks may be employed as may be required, depending upon the size and depth of the ship to be raised. In Figure l0, six tanks are shown attached to a ship A. Two forward tanks 43 are arranged to provide a pinching action over the bow of the ship and the chain 44 similar to the chain 22 passes around the stem of the ship A. Two rear tanks 45 are also arranged to provide a pinching action over the stem of the ship A, and the chain 46 passes around the bow of the ship A. Intermediate tanks 41 are carried upon either side of the ship A, and transverse chains 48 pass under the hull of the ship, these chains being fastened at their ends to the eyes 9 of the tanks 41.

From the above description, it will be seen that the tapering ends I1 of the hingedly connected tanks I5 and I6 will allow the tanks to be spread widely apart at their krear ends so that they may iit over ships of varying widths, and that the chain 22 will firmly anchor the tanks in position when they are drawn tightly around the ship S and locked by the wheels 24..

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the mechanical. construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be employed Without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, so long as such changes fall withi the scope ofthe appended claims. I

Having described the invention, what I claiml as new is 1. A tank ofthe class describedcomprising an elongated body, means for attaching the 'tank to the hull of a submerged ship, said tank having a water entrance port, a spring-pressed hinged door secured tothe tank adjacent the top oi' said port and adapted to be swung upwardly to an open position, a latching bar vertically slidable upon said tank and having a finger adapted to extend in front of the door when in an open position to hold the door in an open position, the lower end of the latching bar extending below the bottom of said tank, whereby saidk latching bar will be forced upwardly when the tank cornes to rest to move said finger, vertically out of engagement with said door and allow the spring-pressed door to automatically close, and means for forcing compressed air into the tank for ejecting water therefrom.

2.. A tank ofthe class described comprising an elongated body, means for attaching the tank to the hull of a submerged ship, said tank having a water entrance port, a, spring-pressed hinged door secured to the tank adjacent the top of said port and adapted to be swung upwardly to an open position, a latching bar vertically slidable upon said tank and having a finger adapted to ei: tend in front of the door when in an open position to hold the door in an open position, the lower end of the latching bar extending below the bottom of said tank, whereby said latching bar will be forcedr upwardly when the tank comes to rest to move said finger vertically out of engagement with said door and allow the spring-pressed door to automatically close, means for forcing compressedair into the tank for electing water therefrom, and rollers carried by the bottom of said tank to 'facilitate the moving of the tank.

3. A tank of the class described comprising a body, a valve casing carried Within the body, a spring-pressed Valve Working Within said casing, the body having water exhaust ports adjacent the easing and normally closed by said valve, means for supplying compressed air to the casing for moving the Valve to an open position and for ejecting the Water from the interior of the casing as compressed air is forced into the casing to add buoyancy to the casing, said valve comprising a spring-pressed valve slidably mounted Within the valve casing, the valve casing having Water entrance ports, shielding tongues overhanging said ports and extending toward the outer end of said casing, the ports being arranged in longitudinal rows, the ports of one roW being arranged in transverse staggered relation to the ports in the other rows, a compressed air pipe communicating with the rear end of said valve, and said Valve having an overhanging head for sealing the ports in the tank casing.

'4. A ship raising device comprising a plurality of hinged tanks having diverging forward ends and diverging rear ends whereby the rear ends may be adjusted to fit various Width ships, a guiding plate extending transversely across the front ends of said tanks, angle plates carried by the tanks, bolts passing through the angle plates and siidably engaging said irst mentioned plate, and flexible means for securing said tanks to the hull of a ship,

DIAMOND N. `DIAMAN'IIDES. 

